1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to two-piece disposable cups, suited for cold and warm beverages, peanuts, pop-corn and other solid foodstuffs, and especially to cups made of paper or paperboard.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Customary disposable cups usually comprise a bottom, a generally truncated conical body or liquid holding portion. This type of cup will be referred to as a two-piece cup. To prevent spilling, a separate lid can be applied over the opening of the cup. This type of cup will be referred to as a three-piece cup, since it has a body portion and a separate lid, as opposed to the cup according to the invention, which has a body portion with an integrated lid. Most standard cup designs thus use a separate replaceable lid to render the cup spill proof or spill resistant. Attempts have been made to incorporate a folding lid in a two-piece design, however, such designs have a number of functional problems. These, and other designs, use built in straws or side spout mechanisms or have a closure apparatus that requires a complex folding mechanisms, rendering them expensive and/or difficult to manufacture, difficult for consumers to use and/or difficult to stack.
A problem with two-piece cups is that they possess a wide open top, which is subject to spillage especially if used during sporting events, such as running events, or in any situation where there is an activity or where significant movement of the cup occurs. The problem has been overcome in the marketplace by the use of the three-piece cups, which involves placement of a detachable lid secured to the top of the cup. The three-piece design suffers from a variety of problems such as the inconvenience and time required to secure the lid to the cup, storage and transport, disposal problems if the lid were to blow off, and inconvenience in terms of controlling the flow of liquid because your nose hits the lid of the cup and potential spillage when liquids splash out of the opening.
Two-piece disposable cups with integral lids are shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,987 (Solland et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,665 (McSherry). Both of these designs have a deep ovate semicircular shaped lid portion of the die-cut cup, making the lid come to a rest position/sealing position in a semi-upright position along the opening edge of the cup, leaving the cup body portion cross-section substantially circular. Some type of locking mechanism on the upper edge of the cup is employed to hold the lid to the top edge of the cup opening.
A one-piece disposable cup according to the invention makes use of a lid which is formed from a semi-circular die-cut piece adjoined to the body portion of the cup. The general shape of the lid is circular, or slightly oval or shallow semi-circular. The lines of the scribe line arc forming the first fold line for the lid, adjacent the opening edge of the cup, are slightly flattened. The arc of the die-cut cup according to the invention is shallower than the corresponding arc of the known art. The ratio of a horizontal line, which joins the ends of the upper portion of the first fold line where it meets the edge of the cup, to the vertical distance from the center of the horizontal line to the lowest point of the arc of the first fold line, is approximately 4 for the cup, whilst the same ratio for the known art is between 1.5 and 2.5.
The cup according to the invention has two unique second fold lines along the upper edge of the arc which forms the lid. Each second fold line joins the first fold line near the upper edge of the first fold line and connects to the opening edge of the cup to form a triangular shape enclosed by the second fold line, the part of the primary fold line which runs from a first end of the second fold line to the edge of the cup, and the part of the edge of the lid which runs from the edge of the cup to a second end of the second fold line.
The cup lid closing mechanism functions in the following fashion: by a user exerting a slight pressure on the side of the lid, when the lid is in a vertical position, will cause the lid to change shape from convex (open and vertical) to concave shape, with a sudden click or flip towards the cup opening, causing the lid to fold over into the mouth of the body portion of the cup. The lid itself will move to a new stable position located inside the mouth, sealing the contents of the cup from splashing out from the cup. The lid""s final closed position is near to the horizontal, within the body portion of the cup. This near horizontal closed position is caused by the shallower nature of the arc of the first fold line and the presence of the second fold lines. Upon closure of the lid, a double click (from each of the two second fold lines) occurs, allowing a more definitive and significant movement, flip or click of the lid to the closed position within the body portion of the cup.
The outer circumference of the lid of the cup is designed to be larger than the inner circumference of the body portion of the cup in the area of the intended closed position of the lid. When the lid clicks into position within the body portion of the cup, it must be pushed further slightly to reach the final resting position/closed position. This action may be performed by pushing on the lid itself, or by gently squeezing the sides of the cup together by applying pressure to the sides adjacent the two second fold lines. A combination of both actions is also possible. The final resting position is determined by the angle of the second fold lines relative the angle of the arc of the first fold line near the second fold lines. Near the resting location for the lid in the body portion of the cup there is a resistance to further movement of the lid into the cup. The resistance is caused by the pressure exerted by the increasingly smaller opening of the cup body on the lid, and by the resistance afforded by the presence of the second fold lines. The friction between the lid edge and the inside of the body of the cup renders the cup spill resistant and helps to secure the lid in its closed position within the body of the cup. There occurs a significant distortion of the lid when it reaches the resting position/closed position, due to the pressure the body exerts on the lid. The shape of the lid, in the closed position, is thus deformed into a parabolic shape within the body of the cup. This renders further rigidity to the lid and the cup as a whole. The described function of the lid inside the body of the cup is the primary locking mechanism for the lid, in its closed position. The locking of the lid in its closed position is preferably further enhanced by the precise shaping of the lid, so as to exaggerate the parabolic shape of the lid, when the lid is pushed into the body of the cup, and by the shape of the first fold lines, which causes the parabolic shaping of the lid when the lid is pushed to the closed position. The second fold lines function as a second locking mechanism, to hold or secure the lid in its closed position within the body of the cup. When the lid is closed, the triangles formed by the first and second fold lines (as described earlier) are angled more vertically than adjoining portions of the lid. This orientation of the triangles cause the triangles to sit closer to the sides of the body of the cup than the rest of the lid, i.e. the surface of the triangles are nearly in the same plane as the general plane of the adjacent surface of the body. This feature makes it more difficult to open the lid, since the triangle portions of the lid will have to be bent back comparatively more when moving the lid back to its open position.
The lid thus attains a closed position within the cup, with a general plane of the lid near a horizontal plane, or with the movable edge of the lid slightly lower than the opposite folding edge of the lid. The opposing forces between the lid edge and the inside surface of the body of the cup renders enough friction to securely hold the lid within the body and render the cup spill resistant.
Furthermore, when the lid is in its closed position, there occurs a distortion of the body of the cup, from an oval shape, having a substantially flattened part where the lid attaches to the body portion, to a an ovate shape in the perpendicular direction (as seen from the top or bottom of the cup). This shaping in the closed position of the lid is due to the shape of the lid in the closed position. This feature renders the cup body significantly stronger compared to when the lid is not in the closed position. Also, the ovate shape of the body, when the lid is in the closed position, makes the cup very easy to hold and also leads the cup user to more easily find the opening of the cup lid. In the prior art designs, when the lid is in the closed position, the cup body retains a substantially circular cross-section shape, without the benefits described above of the ovate body shape of the cup according to the invention.
The opening arranged along the edge of the lid can be shaped in any suitable way to control the flow of liquid from the cup. The opening can further be shaped to accommodate straws and/or direct drinking from the cup body edge adjacent the opening, depending upon the application. The opening and the raised or protruding edge of the body portion of the cup, when the lid is in the closed position, combine to form a natural drinking edge or xe2x80x9cfunnelxe2x80x9d. Due to the interaction of the opening/lid and the body portion of the cup, the user of the cup can procure liquid without hitting his/her nose against the lid or the body of the cup, contributing to a more pleasant drinking experience. It is thus not necessary to lean the head backwards to drink the last drops from the cup according to the invention, merely tilting the cup further suffices.
With the lid in the closed position, the friction between the lid and the surface of the body portion of the cup, together with the secondary locking mechanism of the second fold lines, allows the lid to form a relatively tight seal between the lid and the cup, rendering the cup spill resistant. The only escape route for liquid is through the opening of the lid. The raised/upwardly protruding edges of the drinking lip also contributes to preventing spillage.
The primary locking mechanism of the lid in the closed position is, as described, the friction between the lid and the inside surface of the body of the cup, and the secondary locking mechanism being provided by the second fold lines of the lid. A series of preferable tertiary locking mechanisms can be employed to further secure the lid within the cup opening. The tertiary locking mechanisms may comprise locking edges within the side of the body of the cup, which edge catches the edge of the lid, when the lid is in the closed position. The locking edges are preferably arranged adjacent the second fold lines of the lid, to catch the part of the edge of the lid adjacent the second fold lines. Alternatively, the locking edges are formed to catch the edge portions of the lid adjacent the opening of the lid, or a combination of both arrangements of the locking edges. A glued-in locking edge might be used, instead or in combination with, locking edges formed directly in the body of the cup. A further possibility is to utilize one or more protuberances sticking out from the edge of the lid, which protuberances are insertable into slits arranged on the body portion of the cup, to lock the lid in the closed position.
Still a further possibility of forming a locking edge, is to utilize at least one substantially horizontal slit in the body portion, whereby the portion of the body located above the slit or slits would be pushed inwards to create a locking edge for catching the edge of the lid, when the lid is in the closed position.
Due to the strength afforded to the cup by the second fold lines, when the lid is in the closed position, the cup body joint line, i.e. the substantially vertical edge along which the cup is joined together, can be placed directly adjacent a triangle formed by one of the second fold lines etc. (as described above). This location of the joint line (on the side of the cup), allows the unencumbered placement of lettering on the front of the cup, the back of the cup and on the lid, without having to compensate or align graphics or text for the glueing of the joint line (or any other joining technique used).
It is an object of the invention to mitigate and/or obviate the above mentioned disadvantages to provide a two-piece disposable cup suitable for holding cold and warm liquid beverages or other foodstuff. The cup has flip top lid which when pushed into position makes the cup spill resistant. This cup is intended to be used as a general purpose sport""s cup suitable for many activities such as running events (i.e., marathons, triathlons, 10 km races etc.). The cup also has a general purpose market as a children""s cup, airline cup, medicine cup or in any situation where a spill resistant cup is required. As such, the cup can be adapted to the fast food market and replace standard three-piece cup designs. The cup size and opening for fluids can be of various sizes or fitted with a straw for use in many applications. Additional uses are foreseen in the food industry in any application which requires spillage prevention, for example as a popcorn or peanut container, french fries container, etc. The opening in the lid would then be optimized to let a desired amount of contained matter out when pouring.
The present invention incorporates the use of a die-cut method which has been used on some paper products containers mainly for fast foods (i.e., popcorn or chips). The die-cut mechanism for these products allows a portion of the carton to fold over to partially cover the contents to either keep in heat or protect the contents while it is sitting. The difficulty with this mechanism is that the lid is unstable and liquids cannot be placed in such containers because they are not leak proof. The present invention uses a simple die-cut mechanism and applies it directly to the beverage cup market.
The invention utilizes a two-piece cup design that eliminates the need for a separate lid thus eliminating the need for additional storage and disposal. This type of cup will be referred to as a two-piece cup, since it has a body portion and an integrated lid.
The cup according to the invention is easy to use. The invention uses a simple die-cut and quick fold mechanism. The lid is so designed that a reasonably secure and spill resistant cover results when the lid is pushed into a closed position in the cup opening. Securing the lid requires a simple push and does not require any significant manipulation.
The cup according to the invention is stackable after assembly into cup shape, and the unique xe2x80x9cflipxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cclickxe2x80x9d which occurs when the lid is slightly pushed, allows the lid to flip into a semi-closed or closed position making total closure of the lid a simple operation. When the lid edge is moved fully into the mouth opening it clicks into position being held there by the nature of the deformation and by the lower edge of the mouthpiece member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the lid of the cup is so shaped that it sits tightly against the sides of the cup. The deformation of the lid and the sides of the cup helps secure the lid in the cup opening. The deformation thus formed also changes the cup profile to a more ovate shape which makes it more rigid and thus easier to hold or grasp. The lid to be is also deformed along the sides making it more rigid.
The mouthpiece for the cup forms a natural hollow between the lid and the edge of the cup which has been angled up. This allows the user a quick point of reference to find the opening, and it allows the liquid to pool temporarily in the space formed by the lid and sidewalls of the cup thus minimizing spillage or splashing when the cup is moved about. The construction also forms a convenient mouthpiece for the user. The hollow between the edge of the cup allows the user to angle the cup and drink without hitting their nose into the cup lid. For solid contents, the mouthpiece is used as a convenient pouring snout or funnel.
Thus, the main differences between a cup according to the invention and cups of prior art are as follows:
The shape of the first fold line for the cup according to the invention can be described as somewhat shallow semi-circular. The lines of the first fold line arc adjacent the opening edge of the cup are slightly flattened. The prior art cups have wider and deeper and more generally uniform semi-circular to ovate fold line arcs.
The arc of the first fold line of the cup according to the invention is significantly shallower, compared to the fold line arc of the prior art. The ratio of a horizontal line, which joins the ends of the upper portion of the first fold line where it meets the edge of the cup, to the vertical distance from the center of the horizontal line to the lowest point of the arc of the first fold line, is approximately 4 for the cup according to the invention, whilst the same ratio for the known art is between 1.5 and 2.5.
The cup according to the invention has two second fold lines on the lid. No such fold lines are described in the prior art. The double click from both first and second fold lines allows for a more definitive and significant movement of the lid towards the closing position within the cup.
The deep ovate to semi-circular shape of the fold lines of the cups of the prior art causes the lids to close to a semi-upright position (30 to 45 degrees, typically). The lid comes to rest along the opening edge of the cup. In the cup according to the invention, the closed position of the lid is near the horizontal (when the cup is standing on a horizontal surface), caused by the shallower nature of the arc of the first fold line and the presence of the second fold lines.
In the prior art cups, when the lid comes to a closed position, it rests on top of or slightly within the opening edge of the cup body. A variety of locking mechanism are employed to hold the lid to the top edge of the cup opening. No significant insertion of the lid into the cup body occurs. In the cup according to the invention, the lid comes to a closed position well within the body of the cup, with the closed position of the lid near the vertical. The opposing forces between the lid edge and the inside of the cup body creates a friction fit, which in turn renders the cup according to the invention spill resistant and helps to secure the lid in its closed position within the cup body.
In the prior art, when the lid is in a closed position, the cup body maintains a substantially circular cross-section shape. In a cup according to the invention, the lid in a closed position causes a distortion of the cup body to an ovate shape, enhancing the rigidity of the cup and facilitates gripping the cup.
The cup according to the invention provides a mouthpiece, when the lid is in a closed position. This mouthpiece is funnel- or snout-shaped, and enhances the drinking properties of the cup as well as preventing spillage from the cup (raised edges).
The cup according to the invention further preferably provides third locking mechanisms (apart from the friction fit of the lid and the second fold lines) to secure the lid in the closed position.
Due to the strength afforded to the cup by the second fold lines, when the lid is in the closed position, the cup body joint line, i.e. the substantially vertical edge along which the cup is joined together, can be placed directly adjacent a triangle formed by one of the second fold lines etc. (as described above). This location of the joint line (on the side of the cup), allows the unencumbered placement of lettering on the front of the cup, the back of the cup and on the lid, without having to compensate or align graphics or text for the glueing of the joint line (or any other joining technique used). A further surface suitable for advertising print is the lid. Both sides may be used, only the top side of the lid being visible when the lid is in the closed position, of course.